BoatUS ANGLER: News

BoatUS ANGLER Press Room

NEWS from BoatUS ANGLER
Boat Owners Association of The United States
880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304
BoatUS ANGLER Press Room at www.BoatUS.com/angler/news/default.asp

Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@boatus.com

Conservation-Minded Fishing League Format Sweeps Western Wisconsin

May 15, 2012 - In the face of increasing state regulations of fishing tournaments and community concerns about the impact of competitive angling on local fisheries, a group of innovative, conservation-minded anglers have adopted a novel strategy for conducting weekly walleye tournaments on a set of lakes and rivers in western Wisconsin.

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"Sonar" Locates Weigh-to-Win

May 14, 2012 - Twenty-five-year-old Miles “Sonar” Burghoff got his nickname from a tournament fishing buddy, and certainly it seemed more than fitting given the fact that his Emmy Award winning father played the character “Radar” on the TV series M*A*S*H. Now he is paying his dues and collecting awards of his own in the form of tournament paychecks, and thanks to his allegiance to BoatUS ANGLER since winning the 2011 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship, he’s recently added cash bonuses to his winnings as a member of the BoatUS ANGLER “Weigh-to-Win” program.

FT. GIBSON LAKE, OK, May 13, 2012 - Today was to have been the day for Mook Miller and Kyle Billingsley to walk across the stage of Bud Walton Arena and receive their undergraduate diplomas at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Instead, the two Arkansans walked across the B.A.S.S. weigh-in stage on the shoreline of Oklahoma’s Fort Gibson Lake and received their winner’s trophies at the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Central Super Regional.

May 8, 2012 - Are you looking for a summer fishing getaway for the family or group of fishing pals? I have five must-visit locations that offer incredible bass fishing for the young, old and everywhere in between. Enough chatter – let’s get to my top 5 summertime bass fishing destinations!

OLD HICKORY LAKE, Tenn. May 9, 2012 — Anglers on Old Hickory Lake near Nashville, Tenn., have a new and low-cost way to get help if they run aground, run out of fuel or have a mechanical breakdown. Capt. Shane O’Neal, who runs TowBoatUS ports in five other locations in Tennessee and Alabama, has opened TowBoatUS Old Hickory. “We saw the need for it,” O’Neal said,…

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Mom Will Have to Wait

TABLE ROCK LAKE, MO, May 3, 2012 - With Mother’s Day just around the corner, TowBoatUS Captain Dave Anderson may have some making up to do. But, accomplished female tournament angler Janet Parker will forever be grateful for the assistance he provided her during the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open on Table Rock Lake.

SAN ANTONIO, TX, May 1, 2012 - Registration for the 2012 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship has closed, with record registration numbers, including nearly 500 students from 248 teams registering for the 200 available slots in this year’s event.

April 24, 2012 - Manny Cominsky’s presence at the podium early on the second day of the Cabela’s Collegiate Big Bass Bash on Lake Lavon in Wylie, Texas must have drawn more than a few curious glances. It wasn’t immediately clear what school he represented—his jersey carried no indication of it—and certainly no one could recall seeing him at a tournament before.

ANNAPOLIS, Md., April 25, 2012 - In many parts of the country, people are asking when did winter end and spring begin? Anglers and boaters are taking advantage of the unusually warm weather, but some may be forgetting that cold waters still lurk beneath the keel. Here's three easy safety tips from BoatUS.com/foundation that will help you get safely through the spring fishing and boating season.

April 17, 2012 - When Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA) teams from all over the nation descend on Pickwick Lake in late May for the 2012 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship, grinding out a limit shouldn’t be a problem. The issue will be who can catch a kicker each day – or possibly a limit of kicker-caliber fish – to claim the title.

ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 16, 2012 - There's a lot to pack before you head out for the spring fishing season. Just don't forget the camera to take shots of your catch to submit to the BoatUS ANGLER "Catch of the Month" photo contest.

TOPEKA, KS, April 12, 2012 - Anglers may soon be flocking to Lake Shawnee in Topeka, Kansas hoping to catch their own record-breaking fish. Since two record-breaking fish were caught there within three days of each other, it’s no wonder!

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Tracy Adams Go Wire-to-Wire

CORNELIUS, NC, April 7, 2012 — A big opening day followed by double-digit limits the next two days made a winner of Tracy Adams at the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open on Lake Norman.

LAKE MARTIN, Ala. April 5, 2012 - Capt. Jackson Dozier grew up boating on Lake Martin. "When my friends would go to the beach," he said, "I'd go fishing on Lake Martin." Now Dozier, a former dive instructor who earned his US Coast Guard captain's license 10 years ago, has turned his love and knowledge of the lake into a career.

FORT LOUDON/TELLICO LAKE, TN, April 3, 2012 — Capt. Jeff Walters has spent most of his life boating and fishing in the lakes of the Tennessee River system. “Boating has always been my pleasure activity,” the 69-year-old mechanical engineer said, “so when I retired from industry, I decided to make boating my second career.”

ALEXANDRIA, VA., March 30, 2012 – A grand prize that includes a two-day guided fishing trip this summer in the famed fishing grounds around Venice, Louisiana, and a spot on the Cabela’s Fisherman’s Handbook TV Show are up for grabs in the BoatUS ANGLER “Star for a Day” Sweepstakes, which kicks off today and runs through June 24. To have a chance at the prize, anglers may enter by “liking” the BoatUS ANGLER Facebook page and entering the contest at ww.facebook.com/BoatUSAngler

ANNAPOLIS, MD. March 29, 2012. - Anglers who catch a snakehead fish could win prizes worth up to $200 in the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) second annual snakehead contest. Anyone who removes at least one of the invasive, non-native fish from the Chesapeake Bay's watershed has the chance to walk away with prizes from Bass Pro Shops at Arundel Mills, the Maryland Park Service, the Potomac River Fisheries Commission and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

SAN ANTONIO, TX, March 28, 2012 - While their classmates worry about spring formals and graduation ceremonies, University of Central Florida students Miles “Sonar” Burghoff and Casey O’Donnell will be in Arkansas, fishing for an opportunity to take their angling careers to the next level.

ALEXANDRIA, VA., March 28, 2012 -- Ever since E10 gasoline (gas containing 10% ethanol) became widely available several years ago, the nation’s largest recreational boat owners group, BoatUS, has received hundreds of calls and emails complaining about boat engine problems. The majority of complaints concern older outboard motors, those made before about 1990.

DELAWARE, March 26, 2012 - When James D. Hitchens of Georgetown set out yesterday for his favorite Sussex County fishing hole, he planned to catch largemouth bass, baiting his line with a live shiner minnow. However, he didn’t expect to set a new state record for the size of the largemouth bass that took his bait. “I’ve never had one over eight pounds,” Hitchens said. “So I was hoping for over eight pounds.”

SAN ANTONIO, TX, March 27, 2012 -When collegiate anglers rolled into Allen, TX and nearby Lake Lavon last week, the fishery was a virtual unknown to just about all of them, but the Arkansas Tech team of Reagan Moore, Evan Barnes, Aaron Sarna, and Evan Smith worked together efficiently to pick the most productive area and unlock the lake's secrets. They quickly learned that a wave of large fish had rushed to the banks and pockets to begin their spring spawning rituals.

SOUTH CAROLINA, March 22, 2012 - Football, basketball, baseball and… bass fishing? High schools in South Carolina are bidding to make fishing an official high school sport, with teams, leagues and varsity letters. And with pro tournaments and television shows about fishing making it more popular than ever, some say it’s time for schools to recognize the activity as a full-fledged sport.

FLORIDA, March 18, 2012 - Alton Jones had one of those “I can’t believe this is happening” days Sunday but still held on for an 18-ounce win on the St. Johns River in the Bassmaster Elite Series. Jones entered the final day of the four-day tournament Sunday with a seemingly insurmountable 9-pound lead but just couldn’t get the big bite he had gotten the three previous days.

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10 Tips to Get Repairs Done Right

ALEXANDRIA, VA., March 14, 2012 - Many boaters and anglers work on their own boats, but there are times when professional help may be needed. With 30 years of experience dealing with marine service industry, the BoatUS Consumer Protection Bureau knows that most marine professionals do the job right. Every year, however, a handful of boat owners wind up coming to the Bureau's Dispute Mediation program for help because of faulty repairs or disagreements with bills. Here are ten tips gleaned from mediating hundreds of cases over the years that will help ensure the job goes smoothly:

WYNNE, AR, March 1, 2012. - Almost 36 years to the day, Arkansas’s largemouth bass state record has finally been broken. On Tuesday, Paul Crowder of Forrest City set the new record on Lake Dunn near Wynne. Crowder’s lunker weighed 16 pounds, 5 ounces, breaking the old record by just a single ounce.

SHREVEPORT, LA, March 1, 2012 - Alton Jones had barely settled into his seat in front of a microphone at a post-Classic press conference when officials presented him with two giant cardboard bonus checks from BoatUS Angler and Toyota totaling $9,000, to add on to the $30,000 he had just earned from B.A.S.S. for a 4th place finish on Shreveport's Red River.

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Chris Lane Claims Bassmaster Classic Crown
by Deb Johnson, courtesy of Bassmaster

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER CITY, LA, February 26, 2012 - “Go, Chris Lane!” As he stepped off the 2012 Bassmaster Classic stage on Sunday, Bobby Lane bellowed his brother’s name. Bobby had just been knocked out of contention. He knew Chris still had a good chance. More than good. Chris Lane of Guntersville, AL, won the Bassmaster Classic Sunday by more than 3 pounds, fending off hard-charging Greg Vinson.

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EPA Rejects Second Petition to Ban Lead in Fishing Tackle
courtesy of Wird2Fish.com

February 16, 2012 - The EPA basically rejected this petition on the same grounds it rejected an earlier petition in November of 2010. Basically it said there was not enough unreasonable risk to waterfowl from lead tackle to warrant influence from which federal action is required to adequately protect against these risks.

LEWISVILLE, TX, February 11, 2012 - Veteran tournament angler Jerry Lee found himself in a bad spot on the second day of competition during the Bassmaster Central Open. He was out of water. Lee, age 71, of Kiefer, Oklahoma, wasn’t just out of productive fishing water. He was out of water deep enough to pilot his bass boat. The independent contractor was stuck on an ultra-shallow sand bar on the far north end of Lake Lewisville amid bone-chilling north winds.

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Chapman takes Open in fish-off

LEWISVILLE, TX, February 12, 2012– Fittingly for stingy Lewisville Lake, the fish-off Sunday came down to one bite. Brent Chapman got it, Josh Bertrand never did.

Chapman caught a 6-pound, 5-ounce largemouth and captured the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open title in extra innings after the two anglers tied for the lead on Day Three...

ALEXANDRIA, VA., February 6, 2012 -- With its ability to attract moisture and clog fuel filters, it’s no wonder America’s boaters have not been thrilled with ethanol in gasoline, which today is most commonly found as a 10% blend and known as E10 at the gas pump. America’s desire for renewable fuels is growing, but recent Department of Energy tests on boat engines showed that…

SAN ANTONIO, TX, February 1, 2012 -The Association of Collegiate Anglers has opened registration for the 2012 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship, historically the nation's largest collegiate bass fishing competition.

TEXAS, February 1, 2012 - Lane has had aspirations of catching a lake record catfish for quite some time so I committed to taking some time off during the 2011 holiday season to spend some time to get him a junior angler lake record.

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Great American Fisherman Gets Great American Tow
courtesy of Ken Duke, B.A.S.S. Publications
TAVARES, FL, January 19, 2012 - B.A.S.S. legend Roland Martin has had better days on the water. The 19-time B.A.S.S. winner had just started his day on the Harris Chain of Lakes for the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open when his outboard motor "blew up" at about 7:30 a.m.

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BoatUS ANGLER Will Assist Competitors in Need During B.A.S.S. Open Series
ALEXANDRIA, VA., January 18, 2012 – BoatUS ANGLER, which has provided both roadside and on-the-water assistance to boat and rig owners for nearly 20 years, has signed a sponsorship agreement with B.A.S.S. to be the Official Towing Service of the 2012 Bassmaster Open Series.

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Weigh-to-Win Again in 2012

ALEXANDRIA, VA., January 4, 2012 - It’s simple, it’s affordable, it calms concerns about mechanical breakdowns, and it pays tournament cash bonuses. For those four reasons alone, the hundreds of anglers that signed up for BoatUS ANGLER and “Weigh-to-Win” in its inaugural 2011 season, can look forward to renewing and participating again this year.

ALEXANDRIA, VA., December 14, 2011 - Photos of a 67-inch tarpon and a 45-inch pike have made two anglers, Sean Riley of New Port Richey, FL, and Brian Papenhagen of Blissfield, MI, grand prize winners in the 2011 BoatUS ANGLER Catch of the Month fishing photo contest.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN, December 1, 2011 - FLW has announced the 2012 National Guard FLW College Fishing schedule along with paybacks, rules and entry information. Collegiate anglers can begin registering Monday, Dec. 12, at 10 a.m. Central time at CollegeFishing.com.

SAN ANTONIO, TX, November 22, 2011 - The Association of Collegiate Anglers' School of the Year program has been quietly growing and gaining momentum, with more than 100 active collegiate fishing teams now participating.

FLORIDA, November 16, 2011 - Recreational anglers targeting red drum in northern Florida can soon take home more of the popular fish, thanks to a change approved Nov. 16 by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The decision came during the first day of the two-day November Commission meeting in Key Largo.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI, November 10, 2011- Largemouth bass angler Rick Clark of Crystal River, FL, recently went on the fishing trip of a lifetime to Northern Michigan, guided by none other than BoatUS ANGLER member and outsized television fishing show personality Mark Zona.

BUFFALO, NY, November 1, 2011 - As an inner city science teacher, 38-year-old Brad Brodnicki has taught, as well as learned, many lessons in persistence, patience and never giving up hope.

PARIS, TN, September 29, 2011 - Collegiate anglers throughout the country will be setting their sights on Kentucky Lake for the 2012 Collegiate Bass Fishing Open, Presented by Pepsi. Serving as host for the third consecutive year, The Henry County Alliance of Paris, Tennessee, and the Paris Landing Marina will be tournament headquarters.

DESTIN, FL, August 10, 2011 - It's official: at 10 feet, 10 inches tall and a whopping 355.2 pounds the world's largest fishing lure is hanging up at the Village of Baytowne Wharf marina.

OCEOLA COUNTY, FL, SEPtember 16, 2011 - Miles Burghoff and Casey O'Donnell continue to revel in their 2011 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship victory almost four months after their heroic final day efforts on Lake Lewisville. The duo was honored by Osceola County, FL, by a local proclamation declaring September 12-16, 2011 as "UCF Reel Knights National Championship Week".

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A Long Way From Waxahachie

TEXAS, May 13, 2011 - Like many of you, Patti Campbell is proud to display the logos of companies that help fuel her passion for tournament fishing on the rear window of her truck. But it was the BoatUS ANGLER toll-free phone number on a card inside her wallet that not only warmed her soul recently – but also kept her safe.

SAN ANTONIO, TX, September 2, 2011 - The first annual Ranger Cup University Challenge took place on Choke Canyon Reservoir on August 25th and 26th. Two teams of collegiate anglers qualified for the event based on their participation in the Ranger Cup University program during 2011.

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BoatUS ANGLER Weigh-to-Win Member Troy Morrow Wins Big Bass Honors
courtesy of PAA

LAKE LANIER, GA, August 26, 2011 - BoatUS ANGLER Weigh-to-Win pro Troy Morrow of Georgia thought he might score with a big early-morning bite during the Tournament Series event in mid-March. Held on Lake Lanier, the tournament was just a smidge off of the spawn but had some big girls up shallow feeding and getting ready.

GADSDEN, AL, August 12, 2011 – Neely Henry Lake has been pretty doggone good to Ranger Boats pro Todd Auten. The quiet veteran from South Carolina came here two years ago and won a storm-shortened PAA Tournament Series event in spring.

TRENTON, MI, July 16, 2011 - The Eastern Kentucky team of Jonas Ertel of London, and Tyler Moberly of Berea, Kentucky, won the National Guard FLW College Fishing Central Division event on the Detroit River Saturday with five bass weighing 17 pounds, 12 ounces.

PARIS, TN, June 30, 2011 – It’s not often in a sport as competitive as collegiate bass fishing that a team wins back-to-back tournament titles; although that’s exactly what the Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) bass team accomplished today by winning the 2011 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Open presented by Pepsi for the second year in a row.

WHEELER LAKE, TN, June 20, 2011 – Mechanically inclined Bassmaster Elite Series pro Britt Myers found himself alone in a predicament he couldn’t fix last Tuesday night while practicing for the Bassmaster Elite Series event on Wheeler Lake. Worse yet, darkness was creeping over long stretches of the Tennessee River, and Myers was a long way from the boat ramp.

Sonar Burghoff and Casey O’Donnell Tame Wind Churned Lake Lewisville

LEWISVILLE, TX, May 27, 2011 – Sonar Burghoff and Casey O’Donnell of the University of Central Florida were very confident heading into the final day of competition in the 2011 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship. Trailing the day one leaders by less than a quarter of a pound, the team believed they were on the fish to win the National Championship.

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Trailer Tire Blowout leads to BoatUS ANGLER and an 11-pound Bass
by Matt Pangrac of Basszone.com

NORMAN, OK, June 2011 - There’s no better way to earn faith and confidence in a product than to put it to the test. That being said, I really don’t have a burning desire to test out my driver’s side air bag, the “emergency call only” feature on my cell phone, or the flare gun that I keep in my boat. It’s nice to know that those options are there, but if I’m using one of them, well, you get the picture.

HARRIS CHAIN OF LAKES, FL., March 16, 2011 - If there were a central theme to the Bassmaster Elite Series season opener at Florida's Harris Chain of Lakes it would be that nice guys finished first. Shaw Grigsby won the event, and Stephen Browning won the BoatUS ANGLER "Weigh-to-Win" $500 cash bonus for his 3rd place finish.

SAN ANTONIO, TX, March 28, 2011 - The 2011 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series got off to an exciting start as Tennessee Volunteer, Bradley Cooper, landed a 6.78 pound largemouth bass to win overall big bass and day two big bass honors during the Big Bass Bash presented by HydroWave.

NEW ORLEANS, LA, February 28, 2011 -- Moments after he held court in the Bassmaster Classic press conference, Kevin VanDam held a jumbo-sized BoatUS ANGLER "Weigh-to-Win" check made out to him in the amount of $1,500.

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